Projects in pairs

Initial situation

This course is offered as part of two certificate programs: quantitative methods and qualitative methods. Students enrolled in these programs come from different backgrounds (socioeconomics, sociology, political science, etc.) and therefore have a very heterogeneous background in qualitative and statistical methods. Some are trained more in quantitative methods, others in qualitative methods. The course aims to teach them how to put together different methodologies by developing a research project in pairs using mixed methods.

Project implementation

The teaching is based on lectures and seminars. During the courses, the teacher transmits information in a classical way through PowerPoint. However, in order to give a place to the students and their interests, the teacher leaves a class session free during which they can choose the theme to be taught. She also tries to make the format more interactive by implementing, for example, paired discussions.

Students conduct a research project in pairs during the semester. During the first sessions, they develop a research theme that they choose. Since the students come from different disciplines, it is important for the teacher to let them choose the theme. The only constraint is to formulate a research project using mixed methods in different stages of the research. As an interim assignment, the teacher asks students to develop 2-3 research questions from a mixed methods perspective related to their project. They must provide her with a one-paragraph outline of each question, which will count for 10% of the final grade.

The last seminars are devoted to oral presentations of the projects. Each pair presents its project, according to a structure defined by the teacher, for 20 minutes. The presentation is evaluated by two peers and the teacher who have 10 minutes to ask questions. This evaluation is formative and will not be included in the final grade. The teacher’s feedback will help improve the production for the written report, which will count for 50% of the final grade.

During the course, the teacher proposes several types of activities to the students. For example, she uses the theme of Big Data, which lends itself particularly well, to set up a debate. She asks 5 questions on this subject, defines two students who have to take a position for and two students against who must then debate all 4 in front of the rest of the class.

At the beginning of each course, she also asks students to make 10-minute oral presentations based on scientific articles she has selected. These presentations should summarize the key ideas of the readings and conclude with 2 or 3 questions to the class. The presentations and participation in the ensuing discussions count for 20% of the final grade.

The final component of the final grade (20%) requires students to select an article of their choice that uses mixed methods. They must succinctly describe: the research questions, data collection, analysis, and main findings, focusing on the articulation between methods. Finally, they must write a critical discussion of the implementation of mixed methods.

Thoughts and advice

The teacher drew attention to the selection of theoretical elements proposed during the oral presentations of articles. She became aware afterwards that those proposed this year sometimes overlapped with the themes that she addressed later in class. In addition, since students were encouraged to ask questions following the presentation, the time given to these questions was sometimes redundant with the theoretical explanations provided later.

On the other hand, after the first year, the teacher realized that limiting oral presentations to 20 minutes and 10 minutes for questions from peers did not quite fit the needs of the seminar. They are very time consuming as they often lead to informal discussions with the rest of the class. Therefore, it is necessary to allow 45 min for one presentation and several seminars for the whole.

Student feedback

“Interactive course, practical application of theoretical elements discussed during the course.” “It’s very practical, you really see how the methods are applied. It’s not just theory, but every time we get an example of how mixed methods theories are applied in research.” “Usefulness: this course can really help us in our further studies and research.” “The plurality of teaching methods and the external speakers bring a lot to the dynamism of the course, plus the overall participation of the students is good which is very pleasant.”